Vehicle operators generally prefer to load the maximum quantity of fuel that their vehicle tanks will hold prior to undertaking a journey. Most operators adopt this behavior because they prefer not to expend time and effort at refueling along route. Further, operators seek to minimize risk associated with uncertainty, such as unanticipated traffic and weather conditions. One way to minimize the exposure to such risks is to maximize the quantity of fuel carried.
Generally, vehicle operators are paid on a time to delivery basis. Thus, most operators are motivated to traverse their routes as rapidly as possible. As a vehicle traverses a given route, fuel economy can be significantly influenced by the way an operator selects the vehicle speed. An aggressive operator that creates rapid transitions in speed while maintaining the maximum allowable speed limit through the route (legal, fleet owner imposed, etc.), will likely not achieve maximum fuel economy. Such a driver will prefer to maximize fuel load in order to accommodate their driving pattern.